I'm going to be flying home with a little more notice than last time (see my "Tipping On Thanksgiving" thread for details )

I'm going to be booking the trip in "H" class so that I get the 150% EQMs, which will put me just barely over the line for silver elite status in 2006 (not bad considering all but 2000 of those miles came after June 20th, and several of those trips earned only 50% EQMs -- I love my new job )

Anyways, it looks like I'm going to be doing CLE-IAH-ONT-IAH-CLE because the more direct CLE-LAX is about $200 more before tax. ($798 vs. $598). Reading the fare rules for the "H" fare class, it appears that it is a flexable/refundable ticket, my questions are--and yes, I realize I should pester CO reservations for the official details, but--

1) What makes H class different than Y class?
2) If I were to decide to stay in California an extra day (or even try for a later flight that day), assuming inventory is available, would it be possible to change/would there be an admin fee?
3) Would it be possible, after I arrive in CA to change the reservation (again, assuming inventory is available) to depart from LAX, or once it's ticketed am I stuck with the original airports?

Thanks!

(And any COers who will be workin CLE, IAH or ONT on 12/25 or 12/28 -- drop me an email, if things work out I'd love to express my appreciaction for a years worth of -wonderful- travels on CO)

Lincoln

CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile

You might want to check out Z class. For a trip I was just checking (LAX-MCO) H is $798 but Z is $844. Both give 150% elite miles, and Z is booked in F. Z is also cheaper than Y.

I was thinking about taking two trips to reach gold, 1 to MCO for $420 and 1 to IAH for $220, but it might just make more sense to go Z to MCO for $880 and get to be in first the whole way. I need to go through CLE to get enough miles, or one way through IAH and the other through EWR.

Nothing, other than a lower yield, i.e. CO make less money selling an H seat instead of a Y.

Quoting Lincoln (Thread starter):) If I were to decide to stay in California an extra day (or even try for a later flight that day), assuming inventory is available, would it be possible to change/would there be an admin fee?

No charge provided H is available.

3) Would it be possible, after I arrive in CA to change the reservation (again, assuming inventory is available) to depart from LAX, or once it's ticketed am I stuck with the original airports?

Yes provided H is available. You will also have to pay any fare difference, but no admin fee

IKRAmerica - thanks for the Z-class idea (and thanks for doing the work of checking for me ) , I will have to keep it in mind for future travels- for this trip, though I'm already close to suffering a bit of sticker shock at $630 (once taxes were added) -- let alone 798+tx. I do have to say that it's empowering to have an E-ticket receipt endorsed -/REFUNDABLE/-. I think this may be the first time in my life...

BigOrange - Thanks for answering my questions, nice to know what my options are. As a followup question -- H class fare basises on CO other than HL are not flexable/refundable? And I thought that it was confusing enough already.

My offer to any COers who may be at CLE, IAH, or ONT on 12/25 (flights CO 1045 / 1723) or 12/28 (flights CO 726 / 644) stands -- I'd love to meet/show appreciacion. Email address is in my profile.

[And, for anyone who cares, this means that I will have acheived enough miles for silver elite status with 1,107 EQMs and about 4 days to spare]

CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile

I am going LAX-IAH-SRQ on the 21st and SRQ-EWR-LAX on the 28th. The only tickets available into SRQ were Z class, so I figured rather than go back through IAH on an ERJ, I'd go to EWR in a mainline and fly transcon in a 16BF 752 instead. Same high price, much better service!

As for sticker shock, yeah the holiday period is expensive this year, but I say good for them! They are finally charging what people are willing to pay. Even with the much higher fares, the seats are filling up fast.

The last X number of years they've been charging far less than people are willing to pay to fly, especially during the holidays, and wondering why they can't make money. Duh...

While I don't like it, I fully expect $600+ fares for transcon travel around the holidays to be the norm. And since I missed that window, $800+ for first class, which is a lot to pay, but I do get lots of elite miles and bonus miles.

Quoting N1120A (Reply 6):You should always book at continental.com, as you wont have the issue of 50% EQMs on cheap fares making you do mileage runs at the end of the year

That will be true for me soon

I do all of my booking at continental.com, but I should have stated that I'm currently a NWA WorldPerks member (and as such, only certain fares (B, K, N, U, V) qualify at the 100% level, and only Y and H on CO [if I'm reading the rules correctly] qualify at the 150% level in coach.

Once I hit elite status with NW, I plan on taking advantage of Continental's elite match program and transitioning to OnePass so I don't have these wierd "if you're OnePass all of these nice things happen, but if your WorldPerks, only 25% of these nice things happen" things going on--plus, since I earned all of my mileage for 2005 on CO, it only makes sense to use CO's FF program.

Lincoln

CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile

Quoting Lincoln (Reply 4):BigOrange - Thanks for answering my questions, nice to know what my options are. As a followup question -- H class fare basises on CO other than HL are not flexable/refundable? And I thought that it was confusing enough already.

It all depends on the fare basis. Anything with an N in it will be non refundable, and as such you will have to pay an admin fee of USD100 plus you wouldn't be able to re-route it!

Looking at the tarrif display though, the only H class offered is an HL fare so you should be OK.

Quoting Lincoln (Reply 7):Once I hit elite status with NW, I plan on taking advantage of Continental's elite match program and transitioning to OnePass

You might want to double-check that. I heard over at flyertalk.com that the CO elite match program will elite match everyone except for NW, because of the special relationship between NW and CO. However, that might be different now.

Quoting AKelley728 (Reply 9):You might want to double-check that. I heard over at flyertalk.com that the CO elite match program will elite match everyone except for NW, because of the special relationship between NW and CO. However, that might be different now.

That's what I was afraid of, however, a few months ago I spoke on the phone with (and received a letter confirming our telephone conversation and containing instructions to followup from) a lady from "Mr. Kellner's Office" telling me it would not be a problem.

Even if I can't elite match on CO, all would not be lost, but it would streamline things significantly to actually be a member of the frequent flyer program that I intend on doing most of my flying on.

Lincoln

CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile

Quoting Lincoln (Reply 10):That's what I was afraid of, however, a few months ago I spoke on the phone with (and received a letter confirming our telephone conversation and containing instructions to followup from) a lady from "Mr. Kellner's Office" telling me it would not be a problem.

it should be okay if you persist because you can show them that ALL YOUR FLIGHTS in 2005 were on CO. They like that kind of loyalty, the whole reason the elite thing exists to begin with.

I'm looking forward to being Gold. I've been silver the past few years, but not gold. More upgrades, more miles, and potential upgrade for co-travelers. Plus a card with gold lettering. ooooo.